The invention relates generally to digital recorders and cellular telephones, and more particularly to providing a digital recorder for recording cellular telephone calls when the user""s hands are not free for purposes of recording, while driving for example.
Cellular telephones are used more and more frequently, but often under circumstances where the user""s hands are not completely free. Such cellular telephone usage can be hazardous to the user and to nearby persons, for example when the user is simultaneously operating a motor vehicle and communicating on a cellular telephone. The risk of hazard is escalated when the nature of the cellular communication is such that the user feels compelled to take notes. Understandably, operating a motor vehicle, while communicating on a cellular telephone and taking notes, simultaneously, is not to be recommended.
While some cellular telephone units have accessories that permit the user to wear a microphone-earphone headset, using such apparatus is sometimes cumbersome, especially as it is necessary to store the apparatus until it is actually used.
While small portable tape recorders are known in the art, and could be used to record cellular telephone communications, operating a motor vehicle, a cellular telephone, and a recorder simultaneously is not an especially safe undertaking.
What is needed is a hands-free preferably digital recorder system that can automatically record cellular telephone communications. Such a system should be operable in a motor vehicle and should not require substantial user attention during operation.
The present invention provides such a recorder system.
The present invention provides a system that includes a cradle, sized to accept a cellular telephone and, disposed within the cradle housing, a system including a digital recorder with memo recording and backwards recorder functions, and a speaker phone function. The system is operable from a motor vehicle 12 VDC cigarette plug accessory voltage, and can charge the user""s cellular telephone when not in use.
A user""s cellular telephone is inserted into a recess in the cradle, which action powers-on the present invention. A microphone associated with the present invention detects ambient sound for potential recording by the digital recorder, and a loudspeaker associated with the present invention plays sound, including sound enunciated from the user""s cellular telephone (e.g., sound from the person on the other end of the cellular telephone conversation).
The digital recorder operates continuously when the cellular telephone is in use, except during playback of a recorded message.
The user presses the xe2x80x9cForward Recordxe2x80x9d button to begin recording for up to 30 seconds, whereupon the LED flashes red, and remains red to indicate a recorded message is present. The same button is again pressed for playback, during which time the LED turns green. Pressing the same button momentarily will pause playback, and pressing and holding the same button for a predetermined time erases the message, whereupon the LED extinguishes.
The user may press a xe2x80x9cBackward Recordxe2x80x9d button to capture the last 20 seconds of cellular telephone conversation, whereupon the LED remains steady red to indicate a recorded message is present. The same button may be pressed for playback, during which time the LED is steady green. The same button may be pressed and held for a predetermined time to delete the message, whereupon the LED turns off, to indicate the message location is empty.
Other features and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description in which the preferred embodiments have been set forth in detail, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.